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Topic: The legend of Wu Dao Zi

There was once a painter who one day painted a landscape. [.] The artist was so delighted with his picture that he felt an irresistible urge to walk along the path winding away towards the distant mountains. He entered the picture and followed the path towards the mountains and was never seen again by any man.- Béla Balázs, Theory of FilmJust as his contemporary the poet Li Bo [Li Bai] had drowned in a river trying to catch hold of the reflection of the moon, about whose beauty he had so often sung, legend recounts that Wu Daozi disappeared into the mist of a landscape he had just painted.- cited and translated by François Cheng, Empty and Full: The Language of Chinese Painting, [Boston: Shambhala, 1994], pp. 28-29"In the palace of Ming Huang, the walls were of great size and upon one of these the Emperor ordered Wu Dao Zi to paint a landscape. The Artist prepared his materials, and concealing the wall with curtains commenced his work. After a little while he drew aside the veil, and there lay a glorious scene, with mountains, forests, clouds, men, birds and all things as in Nature. While the Emperor gazed upon it with admiration, Wu Dao Zi pointing to a certain part of the picture, said: ‘Behold this temple grot at the foot of the mountain - within it dwells a spirit.’ Then clapping his hands, the gate of the cave suddenly opened. ‘ The Interior is beautiful beyond conception’, continued the artist. ‘permits me to show the way, that your Majesty may behold the marvels it contains.’ He passed within, turning round to the beckon his patron to follow, but in a moment the gateway closed, and before the amazing monarch could advance a step, the whole scene fade away, leaving the wall white as before the contact of the painters brush. And Wu Dao Zi was never seen again."- Andersons Catalogue of Chinese and Japanese Paintings